Chapter 81: The Eight Trigrams Lantern of the Tortoise and Serpent

Gu Changqing held the jade scroll for a while, then began to refine the Yin Soul Sword of Mother and Child. As he formed hand seals one after another, a chilling wind swept through the room, and the two swords—one long, one short—trembled incessantly in midair.

Cultivators’ magic tools are chiefly divided into two types. One is activated by spiritual energy and can be used to unleash its power—such as many mirrors, gourds, or certain swords and blades; even clothes and shoes sometimes serve as magic tools of this sort. The other kind, however, includes demon-subduing hammers and flying swords, which are controlled by soul sense and require a portion of one’s soul to be placed within.

Though a cultivator’s soul sense increases as their cultivation grows, unless they practice a special method, the growth is slow; only after reaching the seventh level of Qi Refining does one possess enough soul sense to control two magic tools. Furthermore, splitting one’s attention to manipulate two tools in combat is exceedingly difficult.

Of course, there are exceptions—sets of magic tools, such as Lady Tian’s poison needles, or this Yin Soul Sword of Mother and Child, each with unique methods of use. This particular sword, crafted from the souls of mothers and infants afflicted by the Three Yin Severed Veins, demands even less soul sense and is far more responsive to control.

Such demonic magic tools are utterly ruthless, yet their power is immense and their advantages many; otherwise, who would bother to create them?

As Gu Changqing refined the sword, a female face and an infant’s soul—constantly shifting in appearance—emerged from the blade, their expressions fierce as they tried to pounce at him in retaliation. These were the forty-nine pairs of mother and child, forged into one pair of living souls.

“Begone!” Gu Changqing’s eyes flashed. The Blood Prison swept up like a stream, and with but a clap, the souls of woman and child nearly got dragged into the Blood Prison, hurriedly retreating back into the sword.

From that moment on, as Gu Changqing continued refining, the Yin Soul Sword of Mother and Child became much more obedient.

Li Youling watched from the side, feeling that ordinary people lived in ignorance, unable even to control their own life and death. She was grateful to have seized this opportunity—and grateful that Young Master Gu was a decent person. Though sometimes he seemed ruthless, he never treated her harshly.

Moreover, these empty sacks and magic tools were clearly spoils Gu Changqing had taken from somewhere. Thus, his refining the Yin Soul Sword of Mother and Child felt not at all improper.

From the day she met Gu Changqing, she’d witnessed the Yu family, Daoist Xu, and other mysterious magic items. She’d heard the stories told by White Elephant Daoist. In her heart, she believed that the world of cultivation was indeed a place where the strong preyed on the weak—it was only natural.

An hour passed, and Gu Changqing forged a bond with the Yin Soul Sword of Mother and Child. The souls within, cowed by the Blood Prison, dared not resist. With a single thought, the paired swords flew up and down around the room, gusts of chilling wind and ghostly aura swirling.

Li Youling’s vision blurred; she could not see the sword’s shadow, but felt the room’s cold seep into her bones, nearly freezing her stiff.

Gu Changqing then stilled the swords, feeling quite satisfied. With a pair of living souls inside, he could wield them as easily as his own limbs, even without splitting his attention. It was far more convenient than the demon-subduing hammer.

...

The next day, Gu Changqing went out again to the Treasure Pavilion. Inside, two cultivators, faint spiritual light glimmering around them, were inspecting magic tools. Seeing Gu Changqing enter, they glanced at him only briefly.

“Master!” The same attendant as before greeted him with a gentle smile.

Gu Changqing tossed her the flying shears, the set of poison needles, and a bellyband.

The attendant paused for a moment, quickly realizing these items were not acquired by proper means, yet Gu Changqing showed no concern for being seen.

The two cultivators gave him another look, then lost interest.

“Please wait a moment, Master,” said the Treasure Pavilion attendant, handing the three items to someone else for inspection.

Gu Changqing browsed the other magic tools in the shop. He had no shortage of offensive means; what he lacked most was speed and defense. Speed could be compensated with more Windwalking Talismans, which were inexpensive. Thus, he needed defensive methods most, especially since in that other world, he could not afford to be injured.

There were many defensive tools: robes, inner armor, jade pendants, mirrors, cauldrons, and more. After some time, Gu Changqing took a liking to a Turtle-Snake Eight Trigram Lamp.

The lamp was smaller than his palm, shaped with eight sides representing yin and yang, and colored in green, carved with turtle and snake motifs. At its center, a small wick flickered with an unstable flame.

The Turtle-Snake Eight Trigram Lamp could be raised above the head in battle, its light forming a tangible shield within its radius, protecting everything inside from harm. It burned spirit stones, needing no personal spiritual energy to operate, nor could one replenish it with their own energy.

It was a pay-to-use magic tool, capable of withstanding the strike of a cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refining. Yet the cost was high: a hundred spirit stones would only defend against two such strikes.

The high-grade Azurewood Xuan Light Talisman offered similar effects, costing only eighty spirit stones per talisman, but once activated, it couldn’t be stopped and would dissipate within a cup of tea’s time. The Turtle-Snake Eight Trigram Lamp, by contrast, could be used repeatedly and was far more flexible, though it required a touch of soul sense to control.

The lamp itself was expensive, costing two thousand spirit stones. Most cultivators rarely fought, so rather than investing in such a lamp, they preferred to buy more protective talismans and devote remaining resources to cultivation.

Gu Changqing pondered for a moment. He favored these pay-to-use magic tools and handed over the demon-subduing hammer after severing its connection.

“I’ll sell all these to you together!”

After all, he found the Yin Soul Sword of Mother and Child and the Eight Desolate Fist sufficient.

“Please wait, Master!” The attendant smiled.

A moment later, the two cultivators were ushered into a private room. Many cultivators preferred their purchases to remain secret, keeping their trump cards hidden.

“Master, the Azure Cloud Shears are valued at six hundred spirit stones, the set of Shadow-Quelling Blood Poison Needles at eight hundred, the demon-subduing hammer at five hundred, and the bellyband—used by female cultivators to nourish their skin and preserve their beauty—at two hundred spirit stones.” The attendant covered her mouth with a laugh as she mentioned the bellyband.

“Fine!” Gu Changqing answered carelessly, never concerned about money.

“I’ll take the Turtle-Snake Eight Trigram Lamp!”

Selling at the Treasure Pavilion and spending there, not a single coin left the premises.

Soon after, Gu Changqing left the Treasure Pavilion, playing with the lamp in his hand. Back at the inn, he first refined the lamp, then tossed in a hundred spirit stones. The stones were instantly devoured by the flame.

With a thought, the Turtle-Snake Eight Trigram Lamp hovered above his head, casting a crimson spiritual light, enveloping him within a ten-foot radius—a shield of spiritual fire. The coverage could be expanded or contracted with a thought, though wider coverage consumed more energy.

Gu Changqing then summoned the Yin Soul Sword of Mother and Child, which transformed into a sword shadow and silently stabbed the spiritual shield. The shield quivered slightly.

Gu Changqing estimated: when fully charged, the lamp could withstand twenty such attacks—meaning a cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refining could strike with ten times this power. The Yin Soul Sword of Mother and Child was already among the most powerful intermediate magic tools.

...

That night, Gu Changqing tossed several dozen spirit stones to Li Youling, uncertain how long he would be gone this time. Leaving the inn, he found a secluded spot; with a thought, his vision blurred and the sound of rushing water filled his ears.

He changed his clothes, then wandered back to the camp. The others in the camp looked at him with complex expressions.

“You’ve been gone a whole day—Minister Yan is looking for you!” Pei Yuntai frowned.

“Got it!” Gu Changqing pulled out his phone, checking the messages. He saw several from Ding Lizhi.

Over the past two days, Ding Lizhi’s Dragon Soaring Gang had swallowed two other gangs. With the power of awakened ones, ordinary gangs couldn’t resist at all. But now, the Public Security Bureau was watching him, and the South District Director had sent someone to warn him to restrain himself.

Gu Changqing realized he’d forgotten about this and immediately called Zeng Shiqian.

“Captain!”

“Go to the South District Bureau tomorrow; speak with the director,” Gu Changqing said as he walked. “The chaos in the South District is because there are too many gangs. Once a single gang absorbs the others and only one remains, there’ll be no more fighting—the community will be safe and harmonious, wouldn’t that be nice?”

“Captain, you mean...?”

“Ding Lizhi of Dragon Soaring Gang is a good man—I think highly of him!” Gu Changqing said, smiling.

Zeng Shiqian instantly understood: Ding Lizhi had gotten in with Gu Changqing.

“Understood. I’ll go to the bureau tomorrow!”

Gu Changqing hung up, satisfied. Zeng Shiqian was reliable, after all—an old hand at the Public Security Bureau. Surely the South District Director wouldn’t refuse him, since they were on the same side!

“Minister, my knuckle-dusters have arrived, right?” Gu Changqing swaggered into Yan Hao’s office, pulled up a chair, and sat.

“Where have you been all day?” Yan Hao frowned.

“Just found a place to sleep! My car’s here—I couldn’t have gone far.”

“You know very well that nobody can leave for now!”

“I promise I didn’t leave! Stayed in the camp the whole time!” Gu Changqing replied with a grin.

Yan Hao was helpless before Gu Changqing’s lack of discipline, and simply tossed him a metal case.

“Stay in your tent, and don’t go anywhere!”

“Relax!” Gu Changqing grabbed the case and left.

Back in the tent, he opened the case to find a pair of gray-white spirit gear. The surface didn’t resemble metal, but stone; at the knuckle positions, black objects like pupils were embedded, drawing his attention at a glance.

“Hm?” Gu Changqing pondered briefly, then recognized them—the pupils of a demon eye. Apparently processed, they felt incredibly hard.

Wearing the knuckle-dusters, they shielded the peaks of his fists and the joints of his fingers. The two demon eye pupils at the center of his fists captivated anyone who looked, holding their gaze fast.

(End of chapter)